THS boys balanced at break

The Tonganoxie boys' basketball team enters January with an even start to the season.

The Chieftains have a 3-3 record, the average game score is about 59-57 in favor of THS, and the team has four players averaging seven points or more.

The team has a good start, THS coach David Walker said.

"You always like to have a couple more wins," Walker said. "But I think everybody's playing hard.

"There are a few who are disappointed with how they're playing. As a coaching staff, we're not disappointed."

That coaching staff is slightly different from last year. Walker and Gilner have new roles as head and assistant coaches respectively, and Brandon Parker is the first-year freshmen coach.

"We've played a lot of people early, which will help us down the road," Walker said.

Some of the team's early leaders include senior Bryan Gurss, who leads the team in points (89), rebounds (63), steals (16) and free throws (20).

Senior Jordan Glenn is the team leader in three-point shots (6) and junior Jon Gripka is the assist leader with 20.

As a team, Tonganoxie is shooting 45 percent from the field, while opponents are shooting 42 percent. Opponents have an edge on the free throw line, shooting 62 percent (73-for-118), compared to Tonganoxie's 59 percent (47-for-79).

Walker, though, doesn't like looking at statistics.

"The only stat I worry about isn't even kept," Walker said. "That's how hard you work and everyone's sitting at 100 percent."

Walker's team has displayed its effort on the road for much of December. The Chieftains had one home game, but THS won't be on the road much in January.

Tonganoxie plays seven of its next eight games at home. A Jan. 11 game at Mill Valley is Tonganoxie's lone road contest.

"That will be pleasant for us to be home for a while," Walker said.

THS starts back at home against Santa Fe Trail (4-2 overall and 3-2 in the Kaw Valley League) on Friday and Piper (6-1 and 5-1) on Jan. 8.